About Watercolor and Pastel Artist Jill Stefani Wagner

ABOUT THE ARTIST
As a professional artist I love the simple joy of layering pigment on paper.

I work in 2 quite different mediums: watercolor and pastel.

Watercolor is a very fresh, intuitive process that involves layering water-based paint on paper. You start with your lightest washes and build successively darker with each pass, leaving the white of the paper showing thru for your brightest highlights. There's no turning back once you've made a design or color commitment and I must admit, I throw away more pieces than I keep. But every once in a while, you have an inspired moment where you create exactly the effect you wanted - or even more exciting - you produce something that veers from your original idea and exceeds your expectations!

Pastel seems to me to be almost the polar opposite of watercolor. This opaque, dry medium uses strong unadulterated color and is as close as you can get to painting with pure pigment. I usually start with my dark and medium colors first and slowly build to bright highlights with lighter pastels. I find this medium a bit more forgiving. If I change my mind, I can change anything from color to form to position, just by scraping and redrawing. Pastel is a challenging medium for me and I am constantly learning new skills and techniques. But no doubt about it - I'm hooked!

My subjects are varied, ranging from back country landscapes to inner city architecture, from formal portraits to casual nudes. I love to travel and sometimes work from photos I've taken on the road, but when weather permits, my first choice is always to paint outdoors (plein air).

The consistent theme that attracts me is light and shadow. How does sunlight play on an old building? What happens to the folds of material on a dress when light cascades across it? Do leaves on a tree appear differently at various times of day? How is color affected when ambient light changes?

I aim for realism with a painterly twist in my work, but sometimes I allow the rich hues and textures of a scene to dominate. Watercolor and pastel are exhilarating mediums that lead to endless adventures... and sometimes I'm just happy to follow their lead.

BIOGRAPHY
Jill Stefani Wagner's watercolor paintings and pastel drawings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout the MidWest, and her work hangs in various public and private collections throughout the United States.

The Greater Michigan Art Exhibition awarded her the Excellence in Technique Award in 2004 and she recently was selected as an exhibitor in the Great Lakes Pastel Society National Competition. In 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2003, her work was accepted into the Annual Michigan Water Color Society Exhibitions. She has also displayed in various group shows including "Celebrating the Figure", at the Lansing Art Gallery and "Michigan Landscapes" at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti.

Ms. Wagner has had solo exhibitions at The University of Michigan League, the University of Michigan Pierpoint Commons and the University of Michigan Health System. She has exhibited frequently in the Ann Arbor Women Artist's juried exhibitions and is the recipient of a Best of Show and two Awards of Merit from that organization.

In Michigan, her work is represented by the River Gallery in Chelsea, the Coyote Woman Gallery in Harbor Springs, and the Button Gallery in Douglas. She is a member of the National Watercolor Society, the Michigan Water Color Society, the Great Lakes Pastel Society, the Ann Arbor Women Artists and the Ann Arbor Area Pastelists.

Jill Stefani Wagner was born in Port Huron, Michigan. She received a B.F.A. from The University of Michigan School of Art and is senior partner of a successful graphic design firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
Selected Exhibitions (*Solo Shows)

2008
Michigan Water Color Society 61st Annual Exhibition
Ella Sharp Museum, Jackson, Michigan

Celebrating The Female Figure
Daisy Lake Gallery, Dexter, Michigan

Ann Arbor Women Artists Board Exhibit
Flint Institute of Arts

2007
Ann Arbor Women Artists Fall Exhibition
University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan

*Painting Tuscany
Pfizer Corporate Exhibition, Ann Arbor, Michigan

*Featured Artist
River Gallery, Chelsea, Michigan

Michigan Water Color Society 60th Annual Exhibition
Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan

Great Lakes Pastel Society's Member's Show
Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio

2006
Michigan Landscapes
Riverside Arts Center, Ypsilanti, Michigan

*Tuscan Days
University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Great Lakes Pastel Society 2006 National Competition
Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, Michigan

Michigan Water Color Society 59 Annual Exhibition
Studio 23, Bay City Michigan

2005
The Annual: All Media
Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor Women Artists Fall Exhibition
University of Michigan Health Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor Area Pastelists Biennial Exhibit
Ann Arbor Public Library, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor Women Artists Summer Exhibit
Ella Sharp Museum, Jackson, Michigan

Michigan Water Color Society 58th Annual Exhibition
Crooked Tree Art Center, Petoskey, Michigan

2004
Ann Arbor Women Artists Fall Exhibition
Power Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Greater Michigan Art Exhibition
Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art, Midland, Michigan

Go Figure!
Art Oasis, Ann Arbor, Michigan
May 29-June 5

*Pastels
Pierpont Commons, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2003
Celebrating the Figure-A Body of Work
Lansing Art Gallery, Lansing, Michigan

Michigan Watercolor Society 56th Annual Exhibition
Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, Michigan

*Shadows Cast
University of Michigan League, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2002
Ann Arbor Women Artists Fall Exhibition
University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2001
Ann Arbor Women Artists Winter Exhibition
University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor Women Artists 50th Anniversary Celebration and Exhibition
Slusser Gallery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

*Watercolors
Sweetwaters Café, Saline Michigan

AWARDS AND HONORS
Third Place
Celebrating The Female Figure

Best of Show
Ann Arbor Women Artists Fall Exhibit

Traveling Show
Michigan Water Color Society 59th Annual Exhibition

Award of Merit
Ann Arbor Women Artists Summer Exhibit

Traveling Show
Michigan Water Color Society 58th Annual Exhibition

Excellence in Technique Award
Greater Michigan Art Exhibition

Award of Merit
Ann Arbor Women Artists Winter Exhibition

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